Mandrel support and brake for can body forming machines



Au 30, 1949. E, LAXO 2,480,191

MANDREL SUPPORT AND BRAKE FOR CAN BODY FORMING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 24, 1946 INVENTOR. E D L A X 0 x BY - MM W A T TOR/VEPS Aug. 30, 1949.

E. LAXO 2,480,191 MANDREL SUPPORT AND BRAKE FOR CAN BODY FORMING MACHINES I Filed Dec. 24, 1946 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

50 L A X0 .AT TORNEVS Patented Aug. 30, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANDREL SUPPORT AND BRAKE FOR CAN BODY FORMING MACHINES Ed Laxo, Oakland, Calif., assignor'to Atlas Imperial Diesel Engine 00., Oakland, Calif., a core poration of Delaware Application December 24, 1946, Serial No. 718,215

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to can body forming machines, and more particularly to apparatus for releasably supporting the free ends of mandrels on which the can bodies are mounted during the forming of their side seams.

Incertain types of can body forming machines in which the side seams are both formed and looked, a can body supporting mandrel is supported permanently at only one end, its other end. being supported intermittently by a mechanism operated in timed relation to the forming operation on the canbody, in order to allow endwise placing and removal of the can body on and from the mandrel. Heretofore, a relatively complex mechanism has been provided for intermittently supporting the nominal free end of the mandrel, consisting of a multiplicity of cams and linkages. In addition, the mandrel was not supported against a rotary or a twisting movement, the forming tools carried thereon being susceptible to misalignment with the forming tools in a cooperable movable crosshead or block.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present inventlon to provide an improved apparatus for supporting the free end of a can body supporting mandrel or horn, such apparatus being of much simpler design and mode of operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a releasable supporting apparatus for the free end of a can body forming mandrel which prevents shifting of the mandrel during the forming operation.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for supporting the free end of a can body forming mandrel or horn in which the mechanism embodied in the apparatus also functions as part of a brake for arresting the operation of the apparatus at a predetermined point in its operating cycle.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the mechanism for releasably supporting the mandrel of the machine, and the brake mechanism for arresting rotation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, as seen from the right of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4--4 on Fig. 2'.

Fig. 5 is a partial cross-section taken along the line 5-5 on Fig. 2.

As disclosed in the drawings, the apparatus for supporting the free endof a can body mandrel H! is operable in proper timed relation with. the motion of amechanism for forming the side seam in the can body itself. The machine includes a supporting frame I I in which a main drive shaft i2 is rotatably mounted, this shaft extending completely throughthe machine and carrying a releasable driving clutch mechanism 13 through which rotary motion is imparted to the drive shaft. A plurality of suitable cams M are secured to the drive shaft I2 between its spaced bearing. supports l5 for moving the side seam forming and locking mechanism It toward cooperable tools in the mandrel Ill, which is affixed to and extends forwardly from the vertical column H of the machine frame.

The free end of the mandrel has a cap piece it secured to it in any suitable manner, as by employment of screws or bolts l9 extending through the disk portion 20 of the cap piece and threaded into the main body of the mandrel. The cap piece has a pair of transversely spaced lugs or lips 2| in its upper portion extending. forwardly from the cap disk 20 and spaced apart to form a vertically arranged slot 22 defined by its opposed side faces. The under surface 23 of each cap lip portion is inclined upwardly and outwardly from the cap disk.

I The free end of the mandrel I0 is supportable during a portion of. the cycle of operation of the entire side seaming and locking. mechanism by a lever 24 which is oscillatably mounted on a stud 25 rotatably and adjustably secured in the machine frame H. The shaft portion 26 of the stud is mounted inthe frame itself and a pivot pin 2? extends eccentrically from this shaft portion through the lever 24, in order that rotation of the shaft 26 within the machine frame variously positions the eccentric'pin 21 with respect to the latter. Following. adjustment of the stud 25, it may be secured. in adjusted position by means of, a set screw 28 or the like threaded intothe frame H and bearing against the shaft 26.

The lower arm 29 of the lever has a pin- 33 extending through its end on both sides of its side faces. Rollers 3| are mounted on the pin on both sides of the lever arm,v being retained in proper rotatable position on the pin by suitable end washers 32 secured. to the pin. The lower lever arm 29; is designed to swing between the cap lips 21- and place the rollers 3| in engage-- ment with the inclined surfaces 23 on the under side of the lips 2|.

The upper arm 33 of; the lever 24- is pivotally secured to and between the forked legs 34 of a connecting rod or link 35 by means of an eccentric stud 36 whose trunnions 31 are adjustably secured to the legs 34 by screws 38 and whose intermediate pin 39 mounts the upper lever arm 33. The upper end of the rod 35 is pivotally secured to and between the bifurcated ears 4|) on the lower end of a yoke 4| by means of a pin 42. A vertical slot 43 in the yoke, through which the shaft l2 extends, permits vertical reciprocation of the yoke along and between opposed guide surfaces 44 in the end of the frame I Reciprocation of the yoke 4| is obtained by mounting a cam follower roller 45 on a pin 46 secured to the yoke below the shaft l2, the roller being ridable in a cam track 41 positioned or formed in the inner face of a disk 48 secured to the shaft |2 by a set screw 49 threaded into the hub 55 of the disk and bearing against the shaft. The cam track 41 is provided with an outer arcuate portion 41a for holding the yoke 4| in a downward position durin a portion of the revolution of the cam 48 and main drive shaft l2, an inward arcuate cam track portion 41b for holding the yoke in an upward position during a portion of the operating cycle of the drive shaft l2, and two track portions 410 connecting the inner and outer track portions for shifting the yoke 4| between its upper and lower positions.

The cam track 41 rotates with respect to the yoke 4|, reciprocating it in the frame guides 44 during relative movement of the cam follower 45 around the track. Downward movement of the yoke rocks the lever 24, through the agency of the connecting rod 35, and swings its lower arm 29 about its eccentric pivot 25 in a downward direction to place the lever arm snugly between the cap lips 2| and its rollers 3| in snug supporting engagement with the under surfaces 23 of the lips. The lever arm 29 is maintained in such supporting position during substantially one-half revolution of the cam, during which period the mandrel I is subjected to the forming and looking loads imparted to it through the cooperation of the tools mounted in the mandrel and the movable mechanism l6. Upon release of such can body forming and locking loads, the rotating cam 48 and its track 41 causes the yoke 4| to be elevated, which removes the lever arm 29 to an upper position out of engagement with the cap lips 2 I, enabling the can body on the mandrel or horn In to be removed endwise therefrom and the sheet metal of another can body to be placed on the mandrel.

During its supporting position under the cap lips 2|, the linkage is rigid and effective to resist the downward forces attending the hook forming and side seam flattening operation by reason of the location of the pivot 42 at the juncture of the link 35 and yoke 4|, which is preferably made to lie slightly outwardly of a vertical line through the axis of the pivot pin 39 connecting the rod 35 and upper lever arm 33. Such position can be obtained by suitable manipulation of the eccentric stud 36 in the lower end of the connecting rod 35. In addition to supporting the mandrel l0 against downward movement, the lever arm 29 prevents its lateral movement by virtue of its snug engagement with and between the lips 2| of the cap |8. Such positioning of the lower lever arm between the cap lips also serves as a key resisting rotation or twisting of the mandrel I under the influence of the side seam forming and flattening operations.

It isdesired to stop the machine at a predetermined point in its cycle, which is following the completion of the side seam flattening operation and the removal of the lever arm 29 in an upward direction from its supporting engagement between and under the mandrel lips 2|. This is made to occur at a predetermined point in the operating cycle by securing a brake segment 50 to the cam disk 48, the segment having a depending flang 5| secured to the disk by bolts or screws 52 and a peripheral arcuate segment portion 53 overlying the periphery of the disk. This peripheral portion is adapted to engage a brake shoe 54 mounted within a socket 55 in a brake lever 56 pivotally mounted on a pin 5'! secured to the frame ll of the machine. The brake shoe is affixed to the lever in any suitable manner, as by a screw 58 extending through the shoe and threaded into the lever.

The desired frictional force between the brake shoe 54 and brake segment 53 is provided by a helical spring 59 whose upper end bears against a cap threaded into the machine frame II, and whose lower end is received within a socket 6| in the upper portion of the brake lever 56, the spring being under compression and bearing against the lever to force the shoe 54 against the exterior surface of th segment 53. Downward movement of the brake lever 56 is limited by a pin 62 pivotally connected to the free end of the lever 55 and extending freely upwardly through a hole 63 in the machine frame, where a nut 64 is threaded on the pin, bearing against the upper surface of the frame to provide a stop limiting the downward movement of the brake lever 56 and its shoe 54. Such downward movement is insufficient to bring the brake shoe into contact with the periphery of the cam disk 48 itself, but does not interfere with the braking action of the shoe 54 against the brake segment 53.

The brake arrangement is such as to effect a stopping of the drive shaft i2 and the forming tools I6 at a predetermined point in their operating cycle without the necessity for any complex control mechanism, and for that matter without the necessity for any other control mechanism at all. The brake segment 5| is positioned on the disk 43 at such point as to engage the shoe 54 and arrest rotation of the disk and the drive shaft to which it is connected. No other elements are necessary to stop the operation of the machine.

It is, accordingly, apparent that a simple brake arrangement has been provided for the machine, and that a comparatively simple device has been made available for properly supporting the mandrel during its subjection to the downward force attending the hook forming and side seam fiattening operations. Not only has an effectivedevice for resisting the downward forces been provided, but transverse and rotational forces acting on the mandrel are also resisted by the mandrel supporting linkage and the'cap on the mandrel end.

While I have shown the preferred formof my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the character described, including a frame, a can body Supporting mandrel carried by said frame and having spaced projections extending axially therefrom, means secured to said frame and providing a fixed horizontal pivot, a lever oscillatable on said pivot and positionable between said projections, said lever having oppositely extending rollers engageable with the undersides of said projections, a yoke slidable in said frame, a connecting rod pivotally secured to said yoke and lever, and a radial cam for reciprocating said yoke in said frame.

2. Apparatus of the character described, including a frame, a drive shaft rotatable in said frame, a can body supporting mandrel carried by said frame, means for supporting said mandrel, said means being movable into and out of supporting position, means operable to move said supporting means periodically into mandrel supporting position, said means comprising a cam secured to said drive shaft; and cooperable brake means in braking engagement with said cam for arresting said drive shaft.

3. Apparatus of the character described, including a frame, a drive shaft rotatable in said frame, a can body supporting mandrel carried by said frame, means for supporting said mandrel, said means bein movable into and out of sup porting position, means operable to move said supporting means periodically into mandrel supporting position, said means comprising a cam secured to said drive shaft; a brake segment attached to said cam, and brake means in brakin engagement with said segment to arrest said drive shaft.

4. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a frame, a drive shaft rotatable in said frame, a mandrel supported by the frame and having an unsupported end, a lever oscillatable about a fixed pivotal axis into and out of supporting position for the unsupported end of the mandrel, a disk secured to said drive shaft having a circular periphery and a cam track, cooperable brake means carried by said frame in braking engagement with said cam for arresting said drive shaft, and a cam follower and link engaged at one end with said cam track and at the opposite end with said lever, whereby rotation of said cam oscillates said lever.

ED LAXO.

REFERENCES CITED llhe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

